This invention relates to hand truck carriers, and specifically to a hand truck carrier designed to be secured to a vehicle, e.g., to the front of a delivery truck.
In various businesses where delivery of goods is required, a need often arises to utilize a hand truck, dolly or cart in conjunction with a vehicle. The typical hand truck has a platform or base plate for receiving an article to be moved, a pair of wheels mounted rearwardly of the base plate, a frame (e.g., a pair of side rails) extending upwardly from the base plate, and a handle on an upper end of the frame opposite the wheels and base plate. Typically, the base plate and frame are joined at a right angle such that (1) the hand truck can rest upright on the base to facilitate loading and unloading, (2) items such as boxes can be stacked on the base plate and against the frame and (3) a loaded hand truck can be moved by tipping the frame at an angle to the ground and pushing or pulling the hand truck to roll it on its wheels.
The hand truck is generally used for transporting loads to and from the vehicle. Hand trucks are generally used to allow one person to conveniently and safely move a load, often through narrow spaces, such as aisles, etc.
The hand truck can be placed inside the delivery vehicle when moving from site to site, but repeatedly lifting and stowing the hand truck consumes time and effort. In addition, the hand truck takes up space inside the vehicle where items for delivery could be stored. Storing the hand truck inside the vehicle also increases the likelihood that items stored inside the vehicle will be damaged as the hand truck is moved.
An alternative to placing the hand truck inside the vehicle is to mount the hand truck on the outside of the vehicle. When the hand truck is mounted on the outside of the vehicle, there is a need to secure the hand truck using a reliable and safe device that is easily accessible to the operator, yet deters theft of the hand truck while the vehicle is unattended.
Several devices for mounting a hand truck are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,530 discloses an electronically activated hand truck carrier in which the hand truck blade is inserted between a pair of stationary plates, and the upper portion of the hand truck is secured by a pair of opposing claws that rotate inwardly to clamp the hand truck against a portion of the frame of the carrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,261 describes a carrier for a specific type of cart designed for pool maintenance that has a lower tubular frame member in the place of the hand truck blade, and a similar upper tubular frame member vertically spaced from the lower tubular frame member. The lower tubular frame member is engaged over a saddle plate, and the upper tubular member fits below a plate and is secured in place by pivotable latch arms. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,328,066, 5,236,342, and 3,443,730 describe other vehicle mounted hand truck carriers.
However, a need still remains in the art for a reliable device for mounting a hand truck on a vehicle that is secure, allows easy access by the operator, and which minimizes the risk of theft.
According to one implementation, a hand truck carrier is capable of securing a hand truck by applying a clamping force to opposite surfaces of the base plate of the hand truck. The carrier may include a carrier body and first and second members coupled to the body. The hand truck carrier can be attached to a vehicle, e.g., at a front bumper of the vehicle or other suitable locations.
The first and second members may be selectively positionable in at least an open position and a closed position. In the open position, the members are spaced apart from each other, thus defining a base plate receiving space. In the closed position, the members are positioned closer to each other than in the open position such that they apply the clamping force. The first member may be stationary, and the second member may be movable relative to the first member. The first member may be a base forming part of the carrier body, and the second member may be channel-shaped clamp member that is slidingly opposed to the base.
The carrier may include a mechanism for moving one of the members relative to the other. The mechanism may include a handle and a linkage connected to the handle, to the carrier body and to the second member, such that moving the lever moves the second member relative to the first member. The handle may be pivotably attached to the carrier body, and may extend through a slot in the carrier body.
The linkage may include a first link that is pivotably connected at a first end to the carrier body and a second link that is pivotably connected at a first end to the second member, with opposite second ends of the links being pivotably connected to each other. The pivotable connection between the first end of the second link and the second member may be a pivot (e.g., a pivot bolt) that extends through a slot formed in the carrier body, such that the movement of the pivot and the second member is constrained by the slot. Similarly, the pivotable connection between the first end of the first link and the carrier body may be a pivot (e.g., a pivot bolt) that extends through a slot formed in the carrier body such that the pivot is constrained to move within the slot.
In the closed position, the first link may be angled with respect to the second link. When the carrier is changed from the closed position to the open position, the linkage may pass through a point at which the first link and the second link are aligned.
The carrier body may include a stop positioned to prevent the linkage from moving beyond a predetermined position. The linkage may also include a connecting member that is pivotably connected at one end to the first link and pivotably connected at an opposite end to the lever. The pivotable connection between the lever and the carrier body may be offset from the pivotable connection between the connecting member and the lever.
The clamping force applied by the first and second members may be adjustable. A suitable clamping force adjustment arrangement may include a bracket attached to the carrier body, an adjustment bolt threaded through the bracket and positioned to bear against the first link. With the adjustment arrangement, the adjustment bolt can be rotated, which causes the first link to move in a direction of the slot through which the first link pivot extends, thereby changing the clamping force.
The mechanism for moving one of the members relative to the other may be manually actuated, electrically actuated or pneumatically actuated. In an electrically actuated implementation, the mechanism includes an electrical power source and switch connected to solenoid, the solenoid being connected to the second member. Specifically, the solenoid may include a moving element that is connected to the linkage. A pneumatically actuated mechanism is similar, except that a pneumatic power source and switch are connected to a pneumatic solenoid.
The present invention is directed toward novel and non-obvious aspects of a hand truck carrier both alone and in combination with one another and as defined by the claims below.